"That felt right" - Dustin Poirier recalls why UFC 257 win over Conor McGregor was career defining

Dustin Poirier recently looked back on his victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 257. Poirier said he was delighted to defeat McGregor, who is widely regarded as the biggest superstar in the promotion's history.

For context, Poirier took on McGregor in their rematch at UFC 257, which took place at Etihad Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2021. The former interim champion pressed McGregor against the cage in the second round and displayed his boxing prowess. He dropped the Irishman with a devastating right hand as referee Herb Dean stepped in to end the bout.

During a recent interview with Megan Olivi on ESPN MMA's YouTube channel, Poirier discussed his impressive win over McGregor, saying:

''I mean, beating Conor [McGregor] in Abu Dhabi after seven years of him talking and posting pictures of when he knocked me out and all that, just that it felt right. It felt good and especially at the time we were at quarantining and all the craziness going on. It just felt like it was meant to be. When they called me with that fight, I was I knew I was going to win. I didn't care what he did or what he said or whoever was across from me under those lights that night. I was going to get my hand raised.''

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (16:42):

Poirier and McGregor immediately faced each other in a trilogy fight later that year at UFC 264, which ended after 'The Notorious' broke his leg in the opening round. The Louisiana native is currently preparing to make his final octagon walk in a BMF title fight against Max Holloway at UFC 318 on July 19 in front of his home audience.

When Justin Gaethje praised Dustin Poirier's knockout win at UFC 257

During the weigh-in show for UFC 269 in 2021, Justin Gaethje called Dustin Poirier's victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 257 the best knockout of that year.

Gaethje took aim at McGregor, saying:

"I am going with Poirier vs. McGregor [2] because I can't tend to be petty, and he [Conor] said he did not go to sleep [at UFC 257]. So let us watch it closer... That was a beautiful night. Yeah, he went to sleep. Night, night! Honestly, I like the one in which he broke his leg [at UFC 264] better. But here we go''

Check out Justin Gaethje's comments below (2:04:33):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena